Business View Magazine | November 2019

277 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2019 They were composed of businesses, factories, government buildings, churches, residences and, most importantly, people.” The rise of the automobile and the construction of the nation’s highways, however, spelled trouble for Braselton and many downtowns. People disappeared from the city center and began to shop in suburban and exurban malls and strip shopping centers. Braselton’s decline continued into the 1990s when the Braselton Brothers Department store closed, leaving one more vacant building among the many others that had long since been without tenants. Braselton was not alone in suffering this decline. Scholars noted similar stories in downtowns across the country. But the tide has turned. Downtowns all across Georgia have become revitalized and reborn. Cities like Thomasville and Tifton in South Georgia are great examples of the success that occurs following public and private investment. The result has been new businesses, job creation, urban living, and a renewed energy and sense of place. In all areas of Georgia, from Rome to Augusta, from Madison to Dublin, downtowns have become a created lifestyle of live, work, shop, arts, and culture that are attracting people of all ages. THE GEORGI A MUNI C I PAL ASSOC I AT ION